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Very sensitively directed, with fun bits between the serious ones. Also a beautifully directed and produced example of movie art. I can't write more about the story or how it developed without making a spoiler. On homophobic prejudice, I thought Thailand was accepting of gays and gay lifestyle. From this movie it seems not. Is there anywhere a minority can really feel accepted? I don't say tolerated, any loving relationship deserves to be accepted on an equal basis. The two lead boys score top marks for acting as well as looks in my opinion. But the supporting cast was great too - even the camp gay teacher! One thing I don't get though is that one of the actors on the cover photo (see to the side) looks nothing like the actor in the movie?? I'll be looking out for more by these actors and director. Highly recommended to watch. Finally thanks to My Reading Manga for making this available, the only source I could find for a fault-free link. Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I was wondering whether to watch this or not for two years, after seeing the series, and always told myself not to because I don't usually deal well with major character death and am quite tired of the Bury Your Gays trope. But then I accidentally came across the trailer for 5 Years Later and while I hate Bury Your Gays I do love Oh You Thought They Were Dead scenarios. Ultimate hurt followed by ultimate comfort. So I thought, even if the second movie isn't out I will watch the first knowing the death isn't real. I can have some hurt, as a treat.I expected the movie to ruin me and I was ready for it.
It failed to do that.
I'm quite disappointed, since most reviews I read praised the movie as a beautiful tragedy but I can't say I quite saw it. The plot was rushed, like a bunch of ideas stitched together to form a Frankenstein's monster of a film. Okay, maybe that's a little too harsh. But there were a whole bunch of ideas that were suggested and never touched upon again. Things that I feel needed at least a little elaboration.
The characters felt shallow as well. I didn't see them fall in love, not really. I felt like I was looking through a picture album of a couple, seeing snippets of important moments in their relationship without the context that goes with them. They had a potential for good chemistry but I feel like the script hardly allowed for that, and the result was a sort of stiffness, accompanied by some awkward silences.
And then the second part of the movie was like a speedrun. So much was happening that it barely let any emotion happen in me, I was too preoccupied trying to keep up. Context for what was happening after Golf came back was almost none. Just a montage of random scenes played in succession.
And that leads to the conclusion. I won't say it was cheesy or tropey or whatever because even the cheesiest plot can be turned great. This wasn't one of them.
The kidney part was okay. But the plot twist completely failed to hit the target with how completely unrealistic it is?? How do you miss an entire ass funeral? How do you miss your parents mourning a child? (even if 5 years later does explain why they wouldn't be as sad perhaps, when the movie first came out no one knew if a sequel would happen) If Golf had gone to study abroad he'd still check in with them. They were on good terms before the surgery, he'd check in with Bank too. I went on a 10 day trip once and my family texted me every day.
The plot hole is just too big for any of the pain of it to really hit.
I understand why people like it. The story has great potential and I'm sure that if it had been executed better this movie would have made it to the top of my lists. As it is however it's just too big of a mess.
Rushed plot. Shallow characters. Nonsensical plot twist for a shock ending.
The ending is the equivalent of killing off your characters at the end of a story because you don't know how to tie it all up in a good way.
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The acting made up for plot flaws
I got to know of the actor Fluke Natouch from Until We Meet Again, where his acting captured my attention, so when I found myself lacking something to watch, I searched his past works and chanced upon this. Boy, his acting even back then was good.The plot started strong and interesting, mostly because of the characterisations. The plot premise isn't anything fresh, but it is driven by interesting characters and the interactions between them.
[SPOILER BELOW]
One of my favourite scenes involved Bank asking Golf, "Am I like a girl? Why did Teacher choose me to perform something that is usually performed by girls?" and Golf replying, "Maybe it's because the Teacher felt that you're better than girls." "In what way am I better?" "Like how you were good to/fotr me."
[END SPOILER]
But after the part where they got found out by their family, it kind of faltered. The scenes that followed lacked a sense of congruity and logic got thrown out of the door. It was as if they didn't have enough screentime left to develop the story properly.
[SPOILERS BELOW]
For example:
1) Why did Golf suddenly got sent to America? He was still putting a fight against his father the previous scene, and the next scene we see is him saying goodbye to his class, obeying his father's decision to send him to America.
2) Why did Golf decide to out himself AND his brother in front of the class? He may be gone but he has to stay behind and live with being outed to his classmates. I guess this can be explained as teenage rashness, but this took the 'bittersweet' aspect out of the scene.
3) If the family's intention to send Golf overseas is to break the brothers up, why did they allow Golf to return to Thailand so soon? Why did Bank's mother comment about Bank not being as close to Golf anymore after Golf returned?
4) What's with the girlfriend? What's with the engagement ceremony? Golf seems to still harbour feelings for Bank, but then why didn't he explain the girlfriend situation? Why did he agree to stay at the hotel with her?
5) Why did Bank run off to find Taa (instead of the girlfriends he was closer to) when the above happened? Since when did they grow so close? We've never seen much interactions between the two previously, but we were shown many scenes of the girls showing support to Bank.
6) The coincidence that Golf's kidney is a match for Bank.
7) Lazy writing - accident, final stage cancer without previous syndromes
8) What's with the insertion of the scene after the accident, with Bank returning the ring to Golf, saying that he wants to go back to being just brothers? Where in the timeline was that supposed to fit in?
9) The time lapse between the surgery and the birthday party took away all the sentiments that could have been developed.
[END SPOILERS]
And I guess this is why I didn't feel much for the ending. But this film was still worth my time watching, if only for the acting by the main cast. It felt very natural, reflective of how someone of the characters' age would behave and act. Their acting made up for the gaps in the plot and kept me watching. It's a joy to watch this 6 years on and find that the actors I like right now had a good level of acting even back then. It's even more delightful to know that I can now turn to a part 2 to the story, and hopefully that will make up for the disappointments in part 1.
Part 2, here I come!
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A Classic
I transported myself back to that time and found the film to be remarkable. This story is deeply, deeply moving. Funny at times. A coming-of-age essay also. It is also profoundly sad reaching the core of one’s inner being. It grabs you and shakes you and tells you clearly that your life will never be the same and a small hole will exist where the heart is. But you still go on. The acting in this series is profoundly moving and is elevated by the supporting characters as well. While this movie may now be ‘older’, it is still relevant today as we all know that families can not and will not accept gay relationships or even recognize love between two persons of the same sex.Was this review helpful to you?
This was my first step into the BL world.
I stumbled across this movie in January, 2019. I watch all genres and mostly asian movies, so I wasn't thinking too much into this. Had recently started watching Thai ones. Just three minutes in, and the characters sucked me into their world. I was so impressed by the two protagonists. Their acting was raw, yet real. In fact, as the story progressed, and came to an end, the tears wouldn't stop.For days, I couldn't get over it. I was so impressed, I started searching up the actors' work. I watched their other works and immediately became a fan of Fluke Natouch. And ultimately started watching BLs.
This is worth a watch. You will not be disappointed. Sad, maybe, but definitely don't miss this gem.
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When i read the story i thought this was just going to be one of those cute easy love stories we are used to in BL. Oh man what was i wrong.
This movie is literally an emotional rollercoaster.
It starts off exactly as you think it would, but along the way the storyline actually gets more complicated, more emotional, and at a point where you think it can't get any worse anymore it actually WILL get worse.
Don't get me wrong, i think this storyline is beautifully written and it's deffinetly different then expected, unique and really deep. I Love the actors, their acting and their way of putting emotions in this movie is amazing, they're so bloody talented. This is deffinetly one of the best movies i've seen in BL, would deffinetly watch this again.
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A Masterpiece of the BL Genre
There's a tired cliche in gay-themed dramas where the hero has to die at the end because somehow he deserved it because he chose to be gay. "My Bromance" could be accused of going down this well-worn path but Director Nicchi Nitchapoom skillfully manages to maintain a hopeful tone in an otherwise tragic story. Some of the plot elements seem a bit forced, but the fact is they seem to work here. Natouch Siripongthon [Bank] (who I think is credited as Pongsatorn Sripinta in this film) I'd seen in the "Until We Meet Again" series, but this drama gave him a lot more to work with and apparently jumpstarted his career. Teerapat Lohanan [Golf] shows tremendous range in his transformation from bully to lover. I'm giving this a 10 because the cast overcame some of the flaws in the script. The scene of Bank dressing in drag was completely unnecessary and undermined the notion that two straight-acting guys can have an intimate relationship without gender role stereotypes. The time wasted on that scene could have better developed the Tom character in the love triangle along with providing a less abrupt transition to the parents discovery of the gay relationship. BL dramas seem to have evolved over the past 6 years but this effort set a high bar.Was this review helpful to you?
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Sweet as honey
It was a lovely movie, even though by the end it got way too dramatic (in hardcore soap opera style, it was too much for my taste; knowing there's a second part, I didn't even expect Golf's death - now I know it will turn out to be fake, but still...)I hope the next part will have a happy ending: I want to see Golf and Bank back together, I want them to get the apologies they both deserve from their family, I want to see Auntie dearest being told to mind her own business and f# off :P
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